News of the Western Belize Recreational Area, about 500 square miles of waterfalls, caves, Mayan ruins and pyramids, Belize Alps, foothills, ranches and farms, tourist accomodations of all types and description, tours and expeditions for vacationers and visitors. Even a small growing expatriate retirement group of people from different countries. In Belize, this is where it is happening, all the things that are fun and even serious, with a climate of ETERNAL SPRING.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

CHINA TO HAVE A FULLY DEVELOPED WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER OPERATIONAL IN SHANGAI BY 2015 ?

There is hope yet,for small country financial services sector, worldwide, small states, secrecy banking and financial dealing sectors; as CHINA is now starting a three year plan to compete with both WALLSTREET and LONDON and is going to give the monopoly domination of the OECD group on world financial trading affairs some competition. Right now the OECD group of financial regulators and currency exchange manipulators have dominated and ruled as a MONOPOLY the world market, but things are starting to change. Venezuela and Brazil are changing the rules a bit. The ARABS have always been outside of the gringos system of colonial control. The world in finance is looking to get interesting? Competition is always beneficial for small players like Belize.

ANOTHER SMALL OIL FIELD FOUND IN BELIZE, JAN. 27TH, 2012? -- IS THIS HOOPLA, OR TO SELL STOCK? OR THE REAL THING? You be the judge. The stock price jumped from .05 cents a share to .10 cents a share in trading on OTC stocks.

The SAN JUAN #2 well is near Independence Village, Belize, located adjacent to the Port of Big Creek in the Stann Creek District.

Final phase of drilling this well commenced on January 24, 2012, after review and compliance with all government regulations, requirements and inspections by Belizean officials and permission granted.

The initial casing (8 5/8 inch) was set and cemented in place using upgraded cement that was requested (H Grade). Upon completion of the cementing process it was allowed to cure for more than 24 hours.

Once the cement was properly cured and inspected by government officials permission was then given to drill to depth on the well.

All information compiled by Treaty engineers, geologists and its own accomplished oil industry veterans (Steve York, Bill Harden) indicated that we would start to encounter shows of hydrocarbons around 1100 ft.

At 1235 ft hydrocarbons were detected in the form of a gas register. This presence of C1-C4 gas readings indicated a geo-pressurized oil bearing zone/gas driven. As drilling continued the indicator steadily increased from the depth of 1235 ft with readings being taken at 1 ft intervals.

On site analysis of the cuttings by Advanced Geological Services, Treaty's "Mud Logging" equipment supplier and consultant revealed that hydrocarbons (Oil) were present in the cuttings samples. Continued drilling showed a constant increase in hydrocarbon presence in the formation through 1290 ft, after which there was a steady decline. This defined the producing zone to be 1235 ft – 1290ft.

Andrew V. Reid, Chairman and Co-CEO of Treaty Energy Corporation, stated, "We were advised by the drilling team to produce this first well, SAN JUAN #2, at the first pay zone based on their professional expertise. It is our plan to drill SAN JUAN # 1 deeper than SAN JUAN #2 in the belief that there may be additional pay zones present."

The cursory field examinations of the cuttings samples indicate lime characteristics with good porosity and high saturation. On site personnel evaluated the samples and came to the following conclusions. The characteristics are very similar to some of the great oil producing zones in Texas, specifically the Ellenburger Lime, Hope Lime, Caddo Lime, Edwards Lime, etc. The characteristics of these Lime plays are very well documented with initial production rates up to and sometimes exceeding 1000 BPD. These plays have produced hundreds of millions of barrels of oil over the past century and have been the source of many of the great Texas success stories.

Based on analysis and results the following plans will be implemented as we work in accordance with Belizean officials to properly integrate and produce this well.

1) Total depth of the SAN JUAN #2 well will be 1300 ft.

2) The drill pipe will be removed from the hole and the hole will be conditioned for completion.

3) A "four-quadrant" camera shot will be made to provide the geologists a photo image of the pay zone in four 90-degree views.

4) The 4 1/2 inch tubing will be set and cemented in place in the well bore.

5) Wire Line Logs will be done to supplement the Mud Logging data.

6) The casing will be perforated in the oil bearing zone.

7) Standard completion procedures will be performed to bring the well on line.

Treaty is in the process of acquiring its own wire line logging equipment. This equipment will be delivered to Belize on Treaty's newly acquired tractor/trailer that Treaty purchased to expedite deliveries of time sensitive items that are required for the Belize drilling projects.

Mr. Reid, commented, "Treaty's initial analysis of the 200,000 acre 'onshore' Princess Concession includes 80 anomalies showing promise. Through early analysis we believe we have so far identified 3 possible oil bearing fields of various sizes. Treaty chose the current, Stann Creek Field, for our initial exploration wells because of its easy access by our drilling team, proximity to nearby port facilities, and it being well outside of any protected areas. Our internal analysis indicates that the Stann Creek Field covers an area of around 350 acres, and with 4-acre spacing we would expect to drill up to 90 wells in this oil field. Based on our initial findings, we estimate there are about 5,000,000-6,000,000 Barrels of recoverable oil in place in this first finding."

Mr. Reid added, "We will commission third party engineers to confirm our estimates in the coming months. Treaty has 200,000 acres to explore within the 'onshore' Princess Concession and 1,400,000 acres on the Paradise Concession. We are taking all the necessary steps to move forward with an aggressive yet environmentally conscious drilling program on the Stann Creek Field and will continue analyzing all our additional acreage for additional drilling locations."

About Treaty Energy Corporation

Treaty, an international energy company, is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas. Treaty acquires and develops oil and gas leases which have "proven but undeveloped reserves" at the time of acquisition. These properties are not strategic to large exploration-oriented oil and gas companies. This strategy allows Treaty to develop and produce oil and natural gas with tremendously decreased risk, cost and time involved in traditional exploration.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements herein express management's beliefs and expectations regarding future performance and are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, raising working capital and securing other financing; responding to competition and rapidly changing technology; and other risks. These risks are detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Forms 10-KSB, 10-QSB and 8-K. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

SO WHO IS GOING TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR AND START MAKING ROSEWOOD CIGAR BOXES FOR EXPORT SELECTED " BELIZEAN BREEZE CIGARS? "

What will the CABINET DO when they change the marijuana laws? Will they consider IN BOND, WAREHOUSES AT THE BELMOPAN AIRSTRIP for flights coming in and loading IN BOND, export only, BELIZE BREEZE MARIJUANA BALES? How will they make it legal to roll BELIZEAN BREEZE CIGARS for EXPORT MARKETS? A cigar factory would need to have storage for more marijuana buds, than a few ounces. Then there is the matter of ROSEWOOD VENEERS, can a veneer factory produce these for the high priced niche market for BELIZEAN BREEZE $100 usa per cigar, for rich people status symbols only? There is a specialty factory needed just to package expensive BELIZEAN BREEZE cigars, or cigarillos. Belizean Breeze was the name for Belize exported ( illegally ) back in the 1970´s, marijuana bales by the CALIFORNIA BASED COMMERCIAL POT GROWERS MAGAZINE " HIGH TIMES" Several friends brought me copies over the years. Growers in Oregon I believe, though to me they were just tourists and scuba divers.

Looks like we will reach a GDP 3.3% for the year 2012 we have just entered in BELIZE.Now Germany is forecasting 0.3%, or less than 1% GDP growth for 2012 and Germany is the powerhouse of the EUROPEAN UNION. FRANCE will do a little less than Germany at 0.2%, and far less than the expected GDP number for tiny Belize. Worldwide the world is expected to achieve a little better than parity with population growth, at GDP 3.25%.

The world is shifting economically. You can see it in Central and South America. Over the last 10 years, the European countries sold off their local manufacturing and or, the companies that exported products from European countries, where those products could be made in local countries of 10 million population or more here in Latin America, their local European companies went INTERNATIONAL and opened branches and franchises to produce the products they once exported to the world from Europe direct, to making them within the Central American countries themselves with local workers. Synthetic ropes, toilet paper and such. Lister diesel sold off their small diesel plants to India and so forth. The only competition between Europe and the USA today for commercial competition in the world, is in big plants, like nucleur plants to produce electricity, specialist exotic new materials like for making jet engines, new technologies, requiring the 60,000 Universities research work to develop, a slow process from research to market of about 15 years. The lag between RESEARCH at Universities for new products and materials of Europe and the USA, is apparently slower than expected, so the result is slower world growth, and a RECESSION in both the USA and Europe. In the meantime the under developed world that started producing the standard everyday products, is seeing THEIR GDP rising, on their exports, filling orders from all over. They are not inventing anything new, but just satisfying the need for the old regular standbye in the more simple economies of the world, that once the USA and Europe once dominated.

Elvin Penner, elected representative MENNONITE in Western Belize. PUP TARGET HIM FOR LAWSUITS, IT WOULD COST THEM THOUSANDS OF VOTES OUT WEST HERE.

OPPOSITION PUP, A CRIMINAL GANG OF CRIMINALS IN POLITICS ATTACK ELVIN PENNER, a MENNONITE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHARITABLE GOOD WORKS

PUP politicians are really NUTCASES! They are claiming that since Elvin Penner, the first MENNONITE to be elected in rural Westerns Belize, to CABINET in government, was interviewed on TV helping immigrants to Belize fill out naturalization forms. Said he was in some cases picking up the TAB of $300 for needy cases. Elvin Penner comes from a RELIGIOUS group, who are the agriculture and industrial backbone of the country of Belize and noted for their co-hesiveness and social works. They employ lots of immigrants and mostly their children, as only the kids having been born here, have the proper documentation. How the heck the PUP can turn a CHARITABLE ACT in tenor with their MENNONITE religious beliefs and performance is beyond me? But criminals and swindlers think that way, and so they think everybody thinks the way they think, I guess? You view other people, the way you view yourselves.

GOOD WORKS ELVIN and we in rural Western Belize salute you and your kind works.

The Mennonite pay Belize taxes in FULL. They also TAX THEMSELVES for community development and finance ALL THEIR OWN SCHOOLS, build all their OWN ROADS, which are better than government roads. Now if only PUP stalwarts would TAX themselves extra to do good works, this country could go places. But not with the criminal mind set of the PUP politicians.

MINISTER OF POLICE, TO PUSH UDP CABINET TO DE-CRIMINALIZE SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA POSSESSION. WILL HE GET IT DONE BEFORE ELECTION TIME THOUGH?

This is in line with speeches by both the PRESIDENTS OF GUATEMALA AND MEXICO, that Belize should do so!

Marijuana cigars are currently illegal in Belize as are their smaller cousins, the cigarillos. This doesnt stop smokers, who have been enjoying this social herb, that makes you peaceful and loosens the tongue for social conversations for centuries. WILL THE MINISTER OF POLICE IF SUCCESSFUL, START AN EXPORT BUSINESS IN " BELIZEAN BREEZE CIGARS" to compete with Cuban cigars in the export world market, packed in local made cedar boxes? Aaaah the potential we are missing because of political stupidity in the past! Now if we had an export, IN BOND, warehouse area next to the Belmopan airstrip, in which to store baled marijuana in 100 lb bales, for EXPORT ONLY and tax it. WOW! Of course nobody in politics has the brains to think this far ahead. At least not yet! It has taken comments by the President of Guatemala and the President of Mexico in their speeches, to shake up the politicians here in Belize.

Not the real oil well, just an example photo.EARLY SUNDAY MORNING JAN 29, 2012, RUMOR MILL! WORD JUST RECEIVED, THEY STRUCK OIL BY INDEPENDENCE, THE BANANA TOWN, BELIZE. Across the lagoon from Placentia on the shoreline and beaches.

Friday, January 27, 2012

BELIZE GOVERNMENT AND BUREAUCRATS FIND PARADISE, FOR SOURCE OF SKILLED TECHNICIANS, TO BOOTSTRAP A LIGHT MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN RAJKOT, INDIA. _______________________________________

" I feel that better will be to visit here for you. RAJKOT is ideal industrial city for small scale industry only. There are about 600 foundries and about 8000 machine shops including hundreds of CNC machines operated by computers.But best of all, RAJKOT is city of Mahatma Gandhi, whose home was here for 40 years. He studied here, married here, his parents died here etc. But entire area of western peninsula with 15 million population is vegetarian since many centuries. So difficult to get non vegetarian food. Total prohibition. So no wine here. No night clubs. No casino here."V K DESAIAADHUNIK GLOBAL ENERGYTINYTECH PLANTS _________________________________________________

I don´t know how our government could sponsor a program of importing skilled industrial technical workers, both to teach things like FOUNDRY WORK, cottage industry size, or CNC computer run machines, from RAJKOT, INDIA. We certainly should invest $5 million in an imported immigration skilled worker program and get them set up here. Belizeans will copy someone else, but do not have the experience or knowledge to even ask questions on HOW TO DO THESE THINGS? A BOOTSTRAP IMPORTED IMMIGRANT PROJECT SOUNDS GREAT! Now if Prime Minister Barrow if he is re-elected will order his bureaucrats in Belmopan, the Foreign Ministry, ( scratch my head ) whats the name of that department supposed to do stuff like this again? Oooooh yeah! BELTRAIDE! Beltraide have not even answered an email I sent them two weeks ago yet. Sheeeew! Poor Belize, with departments like these and workers like these. Must drive PM BARROW nuts? It drives me nuts and I am not even involved in government. My wife and I will go to RAJKOT, INDIA, and select some immigrants that are suitably skilled and even chair a committee, to set the parameters of a SKILLED WORKER PROGRAM if Barrow wants. If we can blow $5 million on the Edmun Castro road across the lagoon business, and another $1 million, or so, on XMAS PRESENTS for votes. Surely we can do something constructive and innovative and forward looking? ____________________________________ Hey Desai, do the toilets have flush toilets and toilet paper in hotels? I don´t think I could squat over a hole in a cement slab as described to me? Vegetarian is fine, love curry and rice.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Pre-election of new naturalization immigrants by incumbent politicians before the close of VOTERS REGISTRATION

2012 is the POLITICAL GENERAL ELECTION YEAR FOR BELIZE. GUESSED TO BE HELD ON MARCH 7TH., 2012.

One of the things creating a flurry of propoganda and action by current elected representatives is the appearance of hundreds ( as many as 700 people ) getting their naturalization papers processed rammed through this past month or so, with the idea that politicians who help the 15 to 20 year long Central American campesinos who have immigrated to Belize over the past few decades, clear up their paper work. The country of Belize is becoming more red tape bureaucracy and most campesinos from Central America, neither read, or write, much less in our ENGLISH, which is a foreign language to them. Their children and grandchildren born in Belize though have mostly already got their red tape identification paper work in order. It is the grand parents, the original illiterate immigrant that lacks the paper work. The scenes of a hundred or so, immigrants swearing in at citizenship ceremonies, is fuel for fodder for the OPPOSITION PARTIES, wanting to smear the campaign of the incumbent party. In reality, the numbers are people who have lived here for a couple of decades, often going back to the time when they fled the Central American civil wars. I did some statistical work of my own, to see what was real in the immigration numbers, versus the dis-information being bandied about by opposition political parties, for smearing and election campaigning, pressing of emotional buttons in some places, mainly the pòrt of Belize City. The best figure I could figure out in 2011, was; THERE IS ABOUT ONE NEW IMMIGRANT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA MOVING INTO BELIZE, PER EVERY THREE DAYS. Undoubtedly that number will be cleared up eventually by IMMIGRATION and the Statistical Department. Though I doubt my number is very far off? It will be interesting to see what the average immigration rate from Central America was for 2011? I have no idea why anybody would be worried? These are usually illiterate campesinos, looking for a house lot eventually, and able to build their own house. They provide in Western Belize, all the DAY LABOR for construction work, driving of farm tractors and machinery, some work in warehouses in stocking, all pretty much work at the cheapest manual labor. Their children and grandchildren though have gone through regular Belizean schools and many of the second and third generation are contributing in entrepreneurial ventures to the economy of Belize in a meaningful way.

WEATHER CYCLES GOVERNED MUCH OF THE MAYAN EMPIRE. The recent find of pottery, about 11 feet down on main street in San Ignacio Town, while digging a sewer line, equates also with pottery shards found while digging septic tank in Hillview, Santa Elena town.

The pottery has been covered by mud. Red clay in fact. Which implies there was heavy rainfall sometime in the past. A rough estimate follows:

The pottery has been estimated to be from Maya houses around 2600 years ago. So at that time, we presume there was more than extra rainfall in our area of Western Belize and we had mudslides.

If you do the research you can find some interesting dates, for rainfall increases and drought periods. Big droughts in our area, started in 760 a.d., 810 a.d., 860 a.d., and 910 a.d. These droughts are thought to be the reason for the collapse of the Mayan Empire.

The last glacial period ended around 8000 years ago and between 8000 to 11,000 years ago, geology shows that we had a constantly rising rainfall that tapered off about 8000 years ago. Since then rainfall has tapered off. Sea levels measured by coral reefs in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands of ancient times indicate that the sea rose about 20 feet higher than it is today.

We had a period of a rainfall peak in our area about 1200 to 1500 years ago. This would be the CLASSIC MAYAN era. Much of this rainfall was very high, back up to 2300 years ago, which confirms the dating on the recent Mayan pottery find, or about 2600 years ago, ( pre-classic Maya ) and mud slides in San Ignacio town, archeological excavations, which covered the house sites,with this pottery, newly found. Depth below 11 feet mostly of digging below the current surface of the towns around here.

If you go back to the last inter-glacial period, the sea level 120,000 years ago was anywhere from 20 to 30 feet higher than today. Sea levels have been rising since the end of the last glacial period around 11,000 years ago, and stopped rising, or rose more slowly about 8000 years ago.

In the Northern hemisphere, they have had some mini-ice ages, well documented. These cold periods peaked about the 1500´s and ran for 300 years until the 1800´s our calendar.

In different parts of the world, the small glaciation cycles in recent human history, have been found to be irregular on a regional basis, indicating conformity to local weather patterns.

It is accepted now, that DROUGHT periods were the cause of the end of the MAYAN EMPIRE.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

THE SAGA CONTINUES WITH CONFLICTING IMMIGRATION RULES, THAT CHANGE WITH THE PERSON. FRUSTRATION! FRUSTRATION AND MORE FRUSTRATION WITH THE IMMIGRATION BUREAUCRACY!

At great expense, my daughter a Belizean, and one of her children, ( Stephan Urscheler - my grandson ) now on his fourth passport renewal, are traveling from Miami to try and get the passport renewed. Different answers from different places, on each trip, the eternal bureaucratic "pass the buck and conflicting information" ). The roundtrip airfare from Miami to Belize City, or Belmopan, runs over a $1000 USA in expenses, including plane and taxi fares. If you cannot resolve this in one trip, multiple trips get to be accumulatively very expensive. Not counting lost time from work, or in Stefans place, lost time from his attendance at Florida International University. There has to be a better organized way to run IMMIGRATION?

All the new passports are caricom passports, no extra fees. I renewed mine as did marlise and both got caricom passports without requesting it. Stefan's is in limbo because apparently UDP put a rule that if you were not born in Belize you need a naturalization certificate to renew your passport now, this number needs to be entered in the computer. This rule was not in effect when he got his first passport so he does not have a naturalization certificate. It was never a problem since he has renewed 3 belize passports to date confirming his Belizean citizenship he should not need it as he is already Belizean. In Belize City they indicate the certificate can only be obtained in Belmopan. We have done several trips to date only for them to tell you they need another document. Last time they did not like my original issue Belize birth certificate ( from the old hospital on the barracks ), they wanted the new "vital statistics" one they are requiring to prove parentage/descendant link. Why we have to do this after he is a citizen is beyond me. Maybe I need to sue the government for discrimination? It seems to be all about generating fees and wasting money on repeated trips. There is no standardized functioning system, it all depends on who you get .

INCOMING E MAIL TRAFFIC is indicating, THAT IMMIGRATION WILL RE-PROCESS YOUR BELIZE PASSPORT TO THE NEW CARICOM PASSPORT, IF YOU PAY $100.

Not sure if this is a bribe or not? But at least two people have informed me that if you pay them $100 Bz you get your passport renewed in 24 hours. Nobody mentioned whether you got a government receipt for this expediting service or not. Everybody else like my grandson, waiting to renew his 4th Belize Passport based on first come first served public service, gets to wait indefinitely. ( five years waiting now ) I guess they figure sooner or later YOU WILL PAY the extra $100 mordida for public service? If you are honest and expect to be treated FAIRLY you apparently are not going to get treated by IMMIGRATION AT ALL? I wonder if that money is going into the GENERAL TREASURY, or is a SCAM inside the bureaucracy?The business about having to have a NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE for PASSPORT CARRYING BELIZEANS, or roots people, still is leaving me puzzled. So far, no explanation has been forthcoming?

--Posted By A Professional BEACH BUM retires in Belize! to Western Belize Happenings! at 1/23/2012 07:28:00 AM ______________________________________

LATEST INFORMATION FROM A SENIOR IMMIGRATION OFFICER, SAYS YOU ONLY NEED TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM AND SUPPLY THE EXPIRED PASSPORT. NOT SO IN PRACTICE! IN THEORY THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL, LOGICAL METHOD. IN PRACTICE, my daughter Sharon is climbing up the walls trying to resolve this issue. Not counting the $4000 usa already spent trying to complete this passport renewal process.

EVIL DOERS ATTACK THE LONGEST MOST SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING AND PARTICIPATION SITE ON THE WEB - AMBERGRISCAYE.COM

This web site, hosted and directed by Marty Casado of Eugene, Oregon, has been promoting and serving Belize with literally tens of millions of website visitors, covering every aspect of Belize and the geographic and business regions within the country. Far surpassing any government financed web sites, AMBERGRISCAYE.COM has literally carried news of Belize to ALL THE CORNERS and remote places of the world, that have internet.

Sad to say, there have been WEB ATTACKS on the website with DENIAL OF SERVICE attacks and the SERVERS in OREGON have been overcome. Now there is a running battle, with running attacks and counter attacks. Who the EVIL DOERS are, at this point we do not know?

Should the source of the EVIL DOERS be identified, it could be that the battle may escalate into other realms? No right minded Belizean can tolerate this kind of criminal activity. _________________________________________From Marty:Thanks Ray, appreciate your support!Was contacted by the evildoer last night. They inform me they are just one person. ________________________________________

EVIL DOER BRAGS TO VICTIM, HE IS THE ONLY ONE? Hmnnnn! Think if the identity gets known of this criminal, it will become a WHOLE NEW BALL GAME? Do you have phone call tracing Marty? I would imagine there are Federal laws against cyber crime, particularly interstate? _____________________________________________

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Belize has great hopes of joint economic growth with our neighbor GUATEMALA to our WEST, with the election of the NEW President and Vice President. As observers from Belize, over their Eastern Peten border, we have been astounded in the changes and improvements in the last 15 years, since the downsizing of their military from 50,000 to 17,000 back in 1996. Guatemala has changed. Still not the industrialized rich nation it could be. But equality of education, health services, roads and telecommunications has changed the way the 21 different Mayan language groups interact with the big city folks. Everybody in that country is experiencing a rising material, more affluent life style, than ever before in Guatemala from the past 15 years of civil government. We have noticed the economic improvements and these have been DRAMATIC indeed. A lot of international chain businesses and factories have opened national branches in Guatemala and lots of things once imported into that country are now being MADE IN GUATEMALA. Even the local LADRINOS have successfully started their own internal new businesses and factories. Much improvement has yet to be done in Guatemala in manufacturing, but they do have the population base, of 12 million people, that make the future BRIGHT with PROMISE. IMPORT SUBSTITUTION should be big on their agenda. If they get their manufacturing base expanded, that country GUATEMALA is going to become the industrial manufacturing,DYNAMO OF CENTRAL AMERICA. You just watch the last 15 years growth. In Belize, with our current population of 350,000 we hope to tag along on the coat tails of Guatemala and join them on the climb to a better economic future. We may be the neighbor poor relations, with a small population, but the successes of Guatemala over the last 15 years have effected us as well. We believe if the GDP curve continues to climb for Guatemala, it will also increase for BELIZE as well. How well the civil society and government do, will be the main crux to how well, both Belize and Guatemala grow economically together.

Inauguration of the new President, Molina, and Vice President, Roxana Baldetti of Guatemala.A female VICE PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA is elected. Good luck to her.New President of Guatemala MOLINA and his VICE President Roxana Baldetti

What we in Belize also hope, is that the new administration of GUATEMALA, GET RID of their useless military, and substitute better and more well trained, diversified specialist, police forces, overhauling the police systems and also their justice systems, which are perceived to be inadequate and corrupt. Belize is not any better, so we cannot complain. We, as both our countries are saddled with inherited justice systems and police systems that do not work. Big challenges and hopefully Belize and Guatemala can improve and work together to build a better future for our growing populations. Particularly without the interference of the USA and European nations.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Guatemala for most of it´s history has been ruled by dictators. Most of the time, these have been military Generals. With the recent FEAR expressed in the port town of Belize City, it behooves one to take another look at the realities of GUATEMALA. The country has only been a real democracy since 1996, during which the PEACE PROCESS decided to downsize the 50,000 man ARMY to 17,000 men.

In the port of Belize, there is still generational memory of dictatorships in Guatemala, merciless killings and outright massacres of tens of thousands of Guatemalan citizens. Paid for a lot of the time, if not ALL the time, by the United States of America.

What is stoking FEAR in the port town population here in Belize, of mainly BLACK people of one shade or another, is the three MASSACRES of BLACK PEOPLE around Puerto Barrios, during the 1920´s. Most that survived fled across the Gulf of Honduras to British Honduras and took refuge in the Colony of BRITISH HONDURAS. There is probably nobody alive in Belize today, who would remember those massacres? When I arrived at the end of the 1950´s Guatemala was still much feared and could not have been more than 20 or 25 years later. Certainly I was filled with the memories and stories passed on to me by the THEN older generation of coastal black people. Indeed, I had my own run-in with the military, DEATH SQUAD in Puerto Barrios in 1960. Escaped more by LUCK than anything, and the fortituous intervention of then President Fuentes. It was certainly a CLOSE CALL. The only memory today of BLACK MASSACRES would be three generations later. Still remembered. And while the CALL in the 1970´s for invading British Honduras and wiping out all the BLACKS of Belize City the port town by the Guatemalan press of the time and the military killing machine. It never happened, though that same KILLING MACHINE did go on to kill hundreds of thousands of MAYA. Mostly in the HIGHLANDS. In those days, GUATEMALA got most of their income from the UNITED FRUIT COMPANY, who was able to use the economic might of the USA government to dictate policy in Guatemala. There were many other American expats and they freely used the Guatemalan military to round up FORCED SLAVE LABOR from the villages of the HIGHLANDS, to bring in crops like sugar cane, on the PACIFIC COAST, very large tracts of lands. The massacres of the BLACKS in Guatemla was more to do with the United Fruit Company and the Ladinos. There was some disagreement about labor, unionizing and so forth. The United Fruit Company imported black labor from Jamaica and they went on strike, more than once. That strike closed the port which was the dollar sign lifeblood of the government of the day and the military backers. Eventually, the government of the day and the military decided to wipe the BLACKS out. I believe that only a small enclave resides now in Livingston. Killing is cheaper than deporting back to Jamaica. This LIVINGSTON was a machine shop town for repairs at the time. To put it in perspective, there might have been some BLACK MASSACRES but for sheer size and feriocity, it could not match the USA backed massacres of the HIGHLAND MAYA in size, or quantities of lives shed.

This more or less went along in Guatemala until 1996, about 15 years ago, when the PEACE ACCORD was brokered. KILLERS of the military given immunity and civil government took over running the country after the Military were downsized. Since then, in the past 15 years, GUATEMALAN society and the nation and GDP have blossomed and for incomes and material standards, the population has gone from worse to better and even more and more better. Roads, schools, clinics have been built with the money saved from disbanding two thirds of the military machine that ruled with an IRON FIST in GUATEMALA. They still have 17,000 men in that machine though. None of which are needed, and costing the Guatemalan government a third of annual tax revenues, for no useful purpose. Guatemala is now part of a new CENTRAL AMERICAN revolution for peace and economic advancement. Things are getting much better. Even BELIZE has joined the new Central American economic union of joint seven countries and it is working very well indeed. ROADS, SERVICES and COMMUNICATIONS have made part of the difference. It is certainly going to be interesting to see how an ELECTED ARMY GENERAL will handle the country now. Back to the bad old days, or into shining future of democratic economic activity. GUATEMALA badly needs restructuring. Get rid of the army and replace them with specialized NATIONAL EMERGENCY UNITS, trained to help the population in time of disasters. More schools certainly. Higher education in rural parts and a complete overhaul on how POLICE systems work. Even getting rid of the existing police systems and rebuilding them in a new format. DRUG SWAT TEAMS, CRIME INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS, MOBILE SWAT TEAMS TO HANDLE OUTBREAKS of holdups and young men thinking they can make money faster through crime. It can be done and should be done. Is a President who was an ARMY GENERAL the man for the job though? That is the $64,000 question? We can only HOPE and wait and see? Or will it be more of the SAME OLD, same old, routine? GUATEMALA deserves better to build on the last 15 years of successes with their civil society and economic successes. Will they get it? Aaaah! That really is the big question?

INCOMING E MAIL TRAFFIC is indicating, THAT IMMIGRATION WILL RE-PROCESS YOUR BELIZE PASSPORT TO THE NEW CARICOM PASSPORT, IF YOU PAY $100.

Not sure if this is a bribe or not? But at least two people have informed me that if you pay them $100 Bz you get your passport renewed in 24 hours. Nobody mentioned whether you got a government receipt for this expediting service or not. Everybody else like my grandson, waiting to renew his 4th Belize Passport based on first come first served public service, gets to wait indefinitely. ( five years waiting now ) I guess they figure sooner or later YOU WILL PAY the extra $100 mordida for public service? If you are honest and expect to be treated FAIRLY you apparently are not going to get treated by IMMIGRATION AT ALL? I wonder if that money is going into the GENERAL TREASURY, or is a SCAM inside the bureaucracy? The business about having to have a NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE for PASSPORT CARRYING BELIZEANS, or roots people, still is leaving me puzzled. So far, no explanation has been forthcoming? ______________________________________________

To keep you all informed (because what I was told by the first officer I spoke with may have been misinformation) I was able to speak with a Sr. Immigration Officer at the Belize City Passport office this morning and she said all I need is to fill out an application and show my expired passport for renewal, and that I can do that in the Belize City office on Mahogany St. Extension. I was dreading the Belmopan Office just now because I assumed the workers there would be overwhelmed with the volume of work they have been dealing with the past few weeks.

Will be nice to have a 10 year passport.

Thanks,Lynn

On Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 8:52 AM, anne wade wrote:

I just picked up my new passport on Thursday. It took two weeks to process with a $50 fee. All I needed to do was fill out a one page application and present my expired passport. When the last passport was for five years, the new Belize Caricom Passport is valid for 10 years.

I must say however, that my visit to the office Thursday gave me a first hand view of the nationalization process of our new Belizean brothers and sisters. Quite a different experience from seeing it on the news. It must be near overwhelming for the officers working at Immigration and Nationality. The lines extended out the door of the building, the parking lot was jam packed, there were people milling about, and there was a constant arrival and departure of pickup trucks and SUV's. Outside the immigration office had the buzzing air of a well organized voting station on election morning.

I live in SI and whenever anyone I know here needs to have their passport renewed (I did last year), they/we go into Belmopan ... there is a separate office in one section of the Immigration Dept. building that is the Passport Office.

EA ________________________________________

Thanks for the info. Will pass it on to my grandson and mother up in Miami. ____________________________________________

Archeological find in downtown San Ignacio hill town in Western Belize. Town council finds ancient pre-classic pots and stuff in whole conditionBIG ARCHEOLOGICAL FIND IN BELIZE. PRE-CLASSIC, maybe 3,500 years old?

From Facebook: "The town council has a project in the center of town right now and part of it consists of laying down drain pipes, and putting all the wires underground. So when they started digging on Burns to lay the first of the pipes right where the alley is between Venus & Serendib they started find ceramics - but not just any ceramics - whole vessels....PreClassic vessels. So from Serendib along up to to where we were excavating today the cultural level continues.

Unfortunately vessels were being taken out and some walked from since Friday - it wasn't until today that official work took place."

Pics are supposed to be up on the Institute of Archeology Facebook page. For those of you that are my "friend's" on facebook, the info is on my wall.

This is a queer deal, but the AMANDALA had informed us, in the latest issue, that GASPAR VEGA, the Deputy Prime Minister ( the consiglieure of the UDP mafia running our spoils parliamentary governing system ) attended the INAUGURATION of the new PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA, Otto Perez Molina. It says our Gaspa Vega, ( Deputy Prime Minister ) had a meeting with the new PRESIDENT OF GUATEMALA, the day before the inauguration. He also met on behalf of Belizeans the Vice President, a lady Roxana Baldetti.

The 5 points is awarded for the DISCRETION and WISDOM on this sensitive subject. By rights, Sedi Elrington, our Foreign Minister should have gone. Not to bring RACISM into this too much, and SEDI ELRINGTON is a nice guy and friend, who I sort of respect. However he is UGLY, BLACK and has this crazy WHITE BEARD. He also speaks in conversation in lawyer legalese pontifications. Totally unsuited for our relationships with such a big, close and very important neighbor, who in future years, we are going to be doing a LOT OF ECONOMIC BUSINESS WITH. ELRINGTON at the inaugration of the NEW GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT, would have catered to ALL THE INHERITED GUATEMALAN PREJUDICES and really set back BELIZE relations with Guatemala. Not from any fault on his part, other than personality and appearance. That said, I judge the choice of bilingual GASPAR VEGA, a charming man, and the jury is still out on my part, trying to figure if he is as nice as he appears, or just a smooth con man? It didn´t matter in this case, I was astounded at the SMARTS displayed by his choice, to represent us, by our PM Dean Barrow, to go to Guatemala City for first appearances. The choice of GASPAR VEGA our deputy PRIME MINISTER, to meet with the new executive of GUATEMALA was superb and a well played card. The man could melt butter on his tongue. Perfect choice. Worth 5 points in future Guatemalan relations any day. The AMANDALA news blurb says Gaspar Vëga discussed economic trade, security concerns along the Chiquibul and joint security operations against criminals, with the NEW GUATEMALA PRESIDENT. Good job and well done!

The wierdest thing! Reports are starting to come into my e-mail box wanting to know the POLICY REASONS for a regulation at IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, THAT ALL BELIZE CITIZENS RENEWING THEIR BELIZE PASSPORTS, must have a NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE.

Just think; according to the message stream and complaints coming in; DEAN BARROW, JOHNNY BRICENO, FRANCIS FONSECA, SAID MUSA and ALL BELIZEANS who currently hold a BELIZE PASSPORT, NOW HAVE TO ACQUIRE AND TAKE A NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE, in order to RENEW THEIR Belize Passport.

1) The idea behind this regulation is a mystery? Of course new immigrants, will already have passed their 5 year PERMANENT RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT. Reports say and I can vouch for this as well from personal knowledge of people, that IMMIGRANTS will take about 8 to 10 years, acquiring the 5 year certification of PERMANENT RESIDENCY. At which time, they swear in at a ceremony and get a NATIONALIZATION CERTIFICATE, which can be presented to authorities at IMMIGRATION to get a Belize PASSPORT.

2) Belizeans holding a Belizean PASSPORT are mystified? What is the REASON, that born in Belize, or already naturalized Belizeans from long ago, have to NATURALIZE IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY? ONE HAS VISIONS and it has been suggested this is a money making excercise by the UDP Government. But apparently, this regulation precedes the UDP government, back into the PUP government time?

3) Further speculation is that it is some sort of policy to get rid of native born ROOTS BELIZEANS in favor of new immigrants being encouraged to come to Belize to build our economy. A lot of JAPANESE would be needed to boost GDP, and ROOTS BELIZEANS DO NOT DO THIS. They are for the most part parasites. Of course, any recent NEW BELIZEAN will have a NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE as part of past process at IMMIGRATION. Certainly as a Belizean I don´t have one and never needed one before. NO BELIZEAN holding a CURRENT VALID PASSPORT WILL HAVE ONE EITHER. So the assumption is; somehow this IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT REGULATION is targeted at native Belizeans, both those that have a passport for decades and those who may apply in the future. But the WHY is mystifying? What is the policy for? ONLY new immigrants would have such a NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE.

The street and parlour discussions on this have gone round and round, but nobody so far, has offered a credible answer to this NATURALIZATION REQUIREMENT of a native born BELIZEAN? Some nefarious long term, purpose is guessed at by most people, because it doesn´t make any sense.

Friday, January 20, 2012

EUROPEAN UNION OFFERS SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS FOR STUDENTS THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES AND LOCALLY THROUGH OUR GOVERNMENT OWNED UNIVERSITY OF BELIZE

The GRANT SCHOLARSHIPS I notice are for only MASTERS AND DOCTORATES. Queer that, we see that a lot from Foreign countries AID programs. They always offer them for Masters and Doctorates. Belize has a surplus at the moment of such people with Masters and Doctorate degrees, if complaints in the local media are to believed? Complaining of the lack of salaried jobs for bureaucratic administrator types, such as this. Salaried administrative clerk, bureaucrats do not build our export GDP economy. They are parasites,dragging our country down with worthless local education. All we are doing is educating people to export our citizens, in the BRAIN DRAIN skills. Waste of money to Belize! The only country offering practical EDUCATION with scholarship grants, that BELIZE requires right now, seems to be MEXICO, in the more middle level technical fields. Taiwan has done some in the past and I believe CUBA is educating some of our citizens in the medical fields. _________________________________________

WHAT BELIZE NEEDS RIGHT NOW IS MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATION IN SPECIALTY SKILLS. SHORT TERM EDUCATION, LIKE THREE MONTHS, TWO EVENINGS A WEEK TYPE SPECIALTY CERTIFICATIONS. I remember my younger years. For eight years, I would finish my winter tourist season just after the high Easter tourist rush on Caye Caulker, and head out to Miami to build up my USA Social Security, with 5 months of work for the Dade County PARKS and RECREATION, as a SWIMMING POOLS MANAGER. Each Spring, I had to renew my certifications for Swimming Instructor, Lifeguard, CPR and First Aid. Annual exams for recertification. My STATE POOL OPERATORS LICENSE was good for a lifetime. Still have it. More needed for Insurance requirements for the inevitable lawsuits the County government would get, when there was an accident, or drowning. Anyway, I would invest in my 3 months of night school certifications, then the County PARKS AND RECREATION would process me and hire me for getting 4 swimming pools ready out of the many they had. Painting them and that sort of thing. Training a bunch of new, summer time Life Guards, hiring and so on, for pools and beaches. Right now in Belize we need these short, specialty skill certifications. We need people short term certified in lathe work, CNC lathes computer instructed and parts designing on 3 D computer programs, or wiring generators and alternators to requirements of specialty tasks, aluminum TIG welding, steam engines-pressure and boiler setups and safety releases, grinding crankshafts and making pistons. We need people trained in the skill of foundry work, cottage industry hobby scale, with different metals. Making of molds in GREEN SAND containers, to make metal parts. We also need people that can make molds, with Dupont rubber latex type molds and castings, to make parts of plaster of paris, or to make plastic things. We need people familiar with clay sculpture, expoxy mold building and thermo ovens production. ( Kitchen table type industry ) BELIZE EDUCATION needs orientating our EDUCATION SHORTAGES, on LIGHT INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING. Like making and installing and operating food processing machinery, especially the packaging. You should be able to manufacture a small kitchen type tea bag, filling machine here in Belize for making of export HERBAL TEAS. I nearly ordered one from India a couple of years ago, to copy. ( $1200 usa ) We need people used to do lithography, making chocolate cardboard boxes, or cardboxes for various food products. At the moment I´m waiting to make a trip to Guatemala City, to make the rounds of LITHOGRAPHERS as I would like to make and design my own chocolate boxes, or Ginger biscuit boxes and rolls. We need an expansion of our limited injection molding plastic bottles, jars and tops. Most of this type of education is SELF TAUGHT right now. Trial and error, by guess and by golly. I can remember the main part of my youthful years, designing and building boats, up to 50 feet length. Designed and built more than a dozen, as a self taught MARINE ARCHITECT. Had to watch shipwrights, ask questions, read books, to learn to loft frames, or make wood models used to make curved frames for boat hulls, run different scale drawings, and design boats in wood, fiberglass and cement. Fiberglass expensive machinery for spray and stuff was more difficult, because if you wasted the product it was EXPENSIVE. The instruction book in one hand and the spray gun and cut fiberglass feeding roll in the other, down at Arthur Hoares, Coordinated Dockyard in Belize City the port. It would have sure helped to take a short certification course, which was not available then and is not available now either in Belize. Big bottleneck in turning our economy around to light manufacturing industry exports. I remember going to Miami to buy Philip Goldson an airplane for campaigning in 1960. I took 5 hours of dual pilot training, which is all I could afford, then buying the books and learning to fly and navigate on my own, as I went, flying with an instruction book in one hand, or lying on the seat next to me. We are currently building planes in Belize of the Ultra Light variety. The European Union have a couple of million Euros, BELIZE could probably use some, for EDUCATION, but our NEED IN BELIZE, is this short term certifications, in specialty manufacturing skills. The last thing we need is more academic, paper waving, desk bound bureaucrats. We have a surplus already for our population size. Maybe our University of Belize academics like Dr. Cary Fraser will meet at the consortium in TOBAGO next week and put in a plea to re-direct the application of this EU GRANT program, for Masters and Doctorates, to more fitting uses in SKILLS orientated EDUCATION. EDUCATION HAS TO FIT THE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF BELIZE. We need so much in the SKILLS mid level EDUCATION, to build our nation and GDP of BELIZE. We also need the light machinery tools and educators who can QUICK TEACH this stuff. None of this type of EDUCATION exists in BELIZE at all, at this current time. Yet our need to foster and educate a new generation of people to be EXPORTERS, LIGHT MANUFACTURERS and ENTREPRENEURS, far surpasses the constant supply of GRANT SCHOLARSHIPS from the outside world for administrative, desk bound, bureaucrats in the civil service. EDUCATION HAS TO FIT THE NEEDS OF BELIZE AND BUILD OUR ECONOMY, or it is basically worthless and wasted. We are just exporting our people with MASTERS AND DOCTORATES to the outside world. THAT is not a valid education model for Belize at this stage of our population growth. One of the imported skills education is the GIS technology. I notice that somebody in government is now offering the public GIS knowledge and performance. So it has taken 13 years to convert an introductory dream of mine, by government, to practical performance and education at this current time. Takes a long time, for a government to do anything pragmatic. We need to start these things now, because of the TIME LAG.

I hope the Belize City Council down on the coast, have better luck than me?

The Government have been advertising Belize has an abundance of entry level SOFTWARE PROGRAMMERS, but my advertising did not attract any applications.

The advertised requirements for Belize City Council, was a Linux system administration, knowledge in ASP NET and C++, Web Service development, SQL data bases and store procedures, CSS, JavaScript Development, with mixed BROWSERS, ADO.net, MVC ASP.NET and other general knowledge. GOOD LUCK TO THEM, as I didn´t find any Belizean programmers available.

SEEMS MY GRANDSON, STEFAN URSCHELER is one of those on the IMMIGRATION POSTPONED BACK LIST?

He is a child of my daughter, Sharon Auxillou ( Mrs. Sharon Urscheler ) Stefan Urscheler, my grandson,has travelled internationally a few times on his Belize Passport, but it expired. In the meantime, apparently the IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT refused to RENEW his passport when he turned it in. Something to do with being a child or something. In the meantime, while he is on the backlog list, he has become an adult and still without a NEW REPLACEMENT RENEWED BELIZE PASSPORT. As far as we know, you just turn in your old passport, but apparently this is not so. Been to do it through the Belize Embassy in Washington, D.C. At the moment he is studying at Florida International University, so who knows when he will get his passport renewed somehow? He was down on the Caye Caulker at home, a few months back. Think it was for either THANKSGIVING or something. We just don´t have the money for plane tickets and running up and down to Belmopan. Flying in and out, and being told to come back next month, repeatedly, just does not cut it. Costs too much money. Last mysterious request from Immigration, was for a NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE. What kind of nonsense is that. Stefan has used his Belizean PASSPORT since he was around 5 years old, travelling with his mother. The ways of a bureaucracy in Belmopan are confusing and mysterious indeed? We speak English, imagine an immigrant speaking Chinese,German, or Swiss or something? What a mess that department is. ________________________________

Stefan's Passport renewal is still pending in Belize City, he has paid the fees, taken the photos, presented his old one, filled the application-all the steps needed to renew. Now the Belize city passport office claims he needs a naturalization certificate even though he has had 3 previous passports confirming he is a Belizean citizen and the original expired passports were presented to Belize Immigration & passport office with renewal. At the time of his birth the requirements for proof of belizean citizenship was present Stefan's orignal birth certificate, present his belizean parent's birth certifcate and present the marriage certificate. This was done and his citizenship confirmed therefore he was issued a belizean passort. Prior to his most recent attempt to renew in Belize city last year, he had tried to renew in San Pedro, Ambergris and was told he was not able to because the passport office there was under investigation for passport scams. He was then given by Belmopan a temporary 2 yr. extension on the old passport (pending the passport office investigation )which has since expired so he went to renew again this time in Belize City. Why does he need a naturalization certificate if he is already a belizean citizen as confirmed by his 3 prior passports is my question and why are they holding up his renewal passport when he has presented his expired one for renewal. It was not lost or missing. A Belizean passport is supposed to be proof of citizenship so why can't he get a renewed one? Hopefully one day soon he can actually receive his renewed passport. He is now over the age of 21 and we started trying for his passport renewal back in 2006 visiting belmopan, visiting belize city, visiting San Pedro Offices only to get some other reason for the delay in issuing.

Ray, Interesting but disturbing tale. I recently realized my passport is expired and I can't get anyone on the phone at Immigration to tell me where the passport offices are. I went into Immigration in Dangriga Immigration office a couple of weeks ago and their first response was I need to go to the US Embassy. When I asked if we'd been conquered by Uncle Sam, the officer said I could apply for renewal in Dangriga but it would take 6 to 8 weeks through their office and that I needed to present my Certificate of Naturalization, which I did not have on me because I keep it in my safe deposit box at my bank. Certificate of Naturalization seems an unreasonable request since I have my two-month expired Belize Passport, my SS card, Voter ID and Driver Permit which all state I am citizen of Belize.

The only phone number I find for Passport Office in the btl directory is a number in Belize City and I've dialed it about 20 times with no success. All I get is a voice message that says "the number you have dialed is busy; please try again later."

So, anyone know how many passport offices there are in Belize? And where they are located?

Ray, I hope your grandson gets his passport issue resolved soon.

lynn __________________________________________

STRANGE? WHY WOULD A BELIZE CITIZEN, HOLDING A PASSPORT THEIR ENTIRE LIFE, RENEWED FOUR TIMES REQUIRE A NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE?

CATCH 22 SITUATION. You born here, why would you need to naturalize? You mean to tell me EVERY MEMBER OF GOVERNMENT WHO IS A BELIZEAN WITH A VALID BELIZE PASSPORT AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF, HAVE TO GO AND NATURALIZE IN HIS OR HER OWN COUNTRY, WHEN IT COMES TO RENEW THE PASSPORT? I wouldn´t even know where to start. I came here BEFORE BELIZE EXISTED. I was a COLONIAL from ENGLAND. Upon INDEPENDENCE, my status changed to citizen of Belize. When my passport expires, you telling me I would after 60 years thereabouts, have to NATURALIZE to renew my passport? CRAZY! CRAZY !

Chief of Immigration in Belize, says there is a backlog of naturalization applicants to be dealt with. The backlog of unprocessed files for NATURALIZATION as citizens, is 2.5 years long. A very long time indeed. Blamed mostly, is lack of the size of the Immigration Department and the vetting slow procedures. What is happening right now in Belize is a cyclical situation, whereas backlogged people with papers that have not been processed for NATURALIZATION, lost files, personal documents, etc., has put many would be long term residents in Belize, that have immigrated here, on a HOLDING PATTERN. Some have been holding over 20 years. When we talk about a messed up political system and bureaucratic administrative system, the only government department that equals the IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, is the LANDS DEPARTMENT for an untidy mess. The 5 year cyclical nature of national elections, sets deadlines for voting registration for new immigrants, so EVERY ELECTION CYCLE, whoever the party in power is, the ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THAT PARTY, start working with their non-voting constitutents, trying to facilitate their getting their paper work in order for NATURALIZATION. Many immigrants have neither the language skills in English and many do not understand the long and tedious processing requirements. For many, raising kids that were born in Belize, it takes all their money to live, as they are on the lower end of the totem pole in the economy as to salaries and cash flows. So, the rising steep fees for various things in qualifying with paper work, like police records, doctor medical tests and so forth takes a back burner. Children of residents of Belize who immigrated here are sometimes in High School, or even College after being born here, but their parents have not been able to complete the IMMIGRATION validation process bureaucratic red tape, to become legal voting citizens. They want to, circumstances and the fees and the red tape frustrate them. Hence as a NATIONAL ELECTION is coming up shortly this year, the ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES have opened their constituency offices and hired people on their own, to help long term qualified residents process their paper work, so it is acceptable to the IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, for swearing in. The reason is because such a qualified immigrant will usually VOTE for the person who helped them break the bottleneck at Immigration Department. On the same tone, it at this time prior to the General Election that the ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES insist the CABINET of their party, put the IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ON OVERTIME PAY, to start vetting and processing the 2.5 YEAR BACKLOG of uncompleted work that has piled up. So each election time seems to be the time, to clear the red tape obstacles and get the IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT BACKLOG completed. It is in self interest of the ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE of a constituency, to see his long term qualified residents become VOTERS on his watch, BEFORE the election. As once NATURALIZED, THE PERSON CAN REGISTER TO VOTE FOR HIM OR HER. Their are many misunderstandings on local tv talk shows about the pile up of overtime work being done by IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS before an election. Also the side issue, of Elected Representatives hiring their own people to work with residents of their constituency, trying to process and get people with red tape paper work problems in order to expedite the NATURALIZATION PROCESS. It makes a lot of ignorant people angry and wild allegations are in the media at this time, alleging skulduggery. It is a NORMAL CYCLE of work being done, to get people registered to vote and they cannot vote if they are not NATURALIZED. That said; the TV TALK SHOW WUB, run by hosts Sharon and Moses came up with a good suggestion, that our political apparatus and CABINET, PASS A LAW that would have a ONE YEAR holding period AFTER NATURALIZATION, before being able to register to vote. This would break the cycle of BACKLOG and OVERTIME during an ELECTION YEAR that is seen every ELECTION cycle. I agree with that in principal, but our government CABINET are not too work conscious and procrastination is the name of the game in looking after the day to day running problems of our small country. No bureaucrat on his or her own decision can make the government system work. The BLOCKAGE IS POLITICAL. We just have a lazy bunch, more concerned about making money in CABINET, rather than dealing with the day to day problems of running our government. It is not only the IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT in trouble. It is the LANDS DEPARTMENT and also LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Placentia Town Council have been waiting 8 years to get their by-laws read by the CABINET, ( both parties ) in the PARLIAMENT, which is a requirement of CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, to make them legal. NOBODY in any party in office have yet seen fit to do this small job either. OBVIOUSLY, IMMIGRATION WILL HAVE TO BE ENLARGED, if they are too keep up with a 2.5 year BACKLOG of unprocessed applications for naturalization and citizenship, in a more orderly and timely manner. The CABINET on the other hand, have a problem finding budget money for this, as the government has negative cash flow and the government is heavily in DEBT. It is only at ELECTION TIME, that the clamor from ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES in the party controlling the CABINET, that money is squeezed from scarce priorities and resources, to put the IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT on OVERTIME PAY. Usually a period of a month or so.

PRESIDENTS OF TWO OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN BELIZE, HAVE CALLED PUBLICLY FOR DECRIMINALIZATION OF SOME DRUGS. PARTICULARLY MARIJUANA!

The trouble in Belize, is neither of our TWO major political parties have taken the marijuana problem to heart and done the same here in Belize. The lack of LEADERSHIP in Belize is something the more astute population, more than HALF of voting adults in Belize is frustrating the peace and tranquility of our small nation. Amsterdam, Holland has shown such a program not only works, but reduces the amount of users. YET, in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico, NOBODY in leadership positions CAN SEEM TO LEAD, what is a criminal scourge created by the DEMAND of DRUGS in the USA and their mixed up crazy policies toward MARIJUANA. So why in Belize cannot either UDP party leader DEAN BARROW, or the PUP leader Francis Fonseca, get off the pot and let us try something different, particularly as AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND shows it works. We need INNOVATIVE LEADERS that work, not just collect salaries and perks.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

WITH THE ELECTION OF A RETIRED ARMY GENERAL IN GUATEMALA AS PRESIDENT, VOWING TO RULE WITH AN IRON FIST. STUDENTS OF GUATEMALAN HISTORY WOULD DO WELL TO READ: The book; LAND, POWER, AND POVERTY, ending with events of historical significance in 1987. Not so long ago! ( 20 years ) The book written by Professor Charles D. Brockett in 1987 depicted an era of ruthless exploitation of the citizens of Guatemala by the military.

This book can also be read online. Since that time in 1987, the ARMY was downsized and the Generals of that era were retired. Guatemala since then, is not recognizable today, as the same country, described in this book of Guatemalan History. Advances for the general population have been many, and the infra-structure projects have brought modern living to even the most remote rural citizens of Guatemala. Today, Guatemala is a modern country, with living standards on a par with those in the USA. All this success has been due to a government run by civil society. Like any civil government, there are scandals, crime, Presidents who traditionally steal through FAKE, government programs, to build their private bank accounts in Panama. The normal events of a civil government. Judge for yourself! Nothing under civil government has been, and probably could not be as BAD AS THAT, that went before, under military rule; mostly back then 20 years ago, and financed by the depredations of the USA.

It is the end of the Mayan Calendar, one can only wonder at the political changes to come for Guatemala, in the GREAT CYCLES of change, predicted by the Mayan Calendar, great wheel, due to hit Guatemala in 2013? __________________________________

The first casualty of PEACE for Guatemala, will probably be the 2004, LAW; that set the limit for a GUATEMALAN military budget, at .33 of GDP. In truth, Guatemala has no need for a military. They do need FEDERAL POLICE SWAT TEAMS AND TRAINED "GANG SUPPRESSION UNITS". They do not need the military EVER AGAIN, if they are wise? _________________________________________________

Peace accords in 1996 ( 15 years ago ) that ended 36 years of fighting between leftist rebels and government forces ordered the army be slashed in size, dwindling from a 50,000-strong force to a huge overbloated 17,000 soldiers today, for a military that has no purpose, since there is no external enemy and Guatemala is friends with all her neighbors. Dozens of military bases, including one in Alta Verapaz, were closed. Just 15 years ago. The strides in improvement in the material standard of living in Guatemala, including rural areas; can only be described as gigantic under civilian only rule. Guatemalans today live on a par with citizens of the USA and Canada. The Guatemalan military is still very oversized for the limited acceptable functions it could be used for, in a peaceful society, with a growing GDP. Indeed, a Guatemalan military of less than 75 people, organized in Emergency Disaster Management, and Crime Suppression Units, would be more successful and acceptable than the current 17,000 soldier army. Which has no external enemy to fight. Current levels of crime are mostly traced to the effect of USA DRUG GANGS operating in the USA, whose need for transport from South America to the USA for illicit drugs, drive the turmoil in Central America. The crime ridden USA gangland society, is the cause of the biggest problems in Central America.

A regular turnover of corrupt police officers would be more successful, than increasing the military budget in Guatemala; which already has exceeded the law of 2004, supposedly limiting military costs to .33 of GDP. Currently military spending is at .4 of GDP. The wrong way to go!

Soldiers earn as little as $150 a month and are hired on a temporary basis. High salaries offered by the drug cartels often convince troops to switch sides. The Zetas, originally formed by Mexican army deserters, have been known to recruit elite Guatemalan troops known as Kaibils who are trained in jungle warfare and infamous for brutal civil-war era abuses. The occasional massacres within Guatemala, by these elements of USA drug gangs horrify the ordinary citizens. Professional training and funding of small, mobile, elite Gang Suppression Units are the solution needed in Guatemala and the funds wasted on a bloated 17,000 military, should be re-allocated and the military which has no purpose in Guatemalan society, downsized to a maximum of 100 persons or less. This huge Guatemalan military, too big for the country, with no acceptable purpose, can only if resurrected lead to further turmoil, abuses and civil war in the future.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Guatemala has no EXTERNAL ENEMIES. Guatemala is now part of an expanding peaceful, economic GDP growth, with ALL the Central American countries, including the neighbor to the NORTH, Mexico.

EMPLOYMENT, GDP GROWTH, CIVIL RIGHTS, all these things have exploded to the advantage of GUATEMALAN SOCIETY, since the GENERALS were forcibly retired and the MILITIARY DOWNSIZED. Without an external enemy GUATEMALA has absolutely NO NEED for a military, just like SUCCESSFUL COSTA RICA.

That said; GUATEMALA probably could have a showcase military and this would be for basic functions. The PRESIDENTIAL PALACE AND ceremonial performances for STATE functions, like the VATICAN does. There are a need for military personel to fight DROUGHT, DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO THE NEEDY, help people after a LANDSLIDE, EARTHQUAKE, VOLCANO ERUPTIONS, and this sort of thing. DISASTER RELIEF being their major function.

The same unit used for above functions, could also be used to fight DRUG GANGS. We are not talking a lot of members of drug gangs. Maybe less than 50 violent people. A proper police unit, like a Gang Suppression Police Unit, or SWAT TEAM can deal with drug gangs. In total, there is probably NO JUSTIFICATION to hire, train and pay for more than 60 military personel in TOTAL. Two or THREE platoons. 45 military sized people is probably more than adequate for GUATEMALA.

To HIRE and establish a bigger military in GUATEMALA would be a WASTE of scarce TAX REVENUES. MONEY THAT COULD BE SPENT MORE WISELY IMPROVING INFRA-STRUCTURE and public services.

A SOURCE OF TECHNOLOGY TEACHERS FOR BELIZE IN SKILLS NEEDED TO BREAKOUT IN THE LIGHT MANUFACTURING ECONOMY OF OUR EXPONENTIALLY GROWING POPULATION. WHO WILL PAY? MAYBE THE UN ?

In Rajkot city, there are 600 foundries. All foundry people from owners to thousands of unskilled workers working in foundries know very well all foundry technology. Even clever workers understand what material must be added how much to get better quality cast iron. Most of the owners of foundries are also not educated beyond primary or secondary education. Most of the workers are not educated in schools. The skill is acquired only by actually working in foundry.V K DESAIAADHUNIK GLOBAL ENERGYTINYTECH PLANTSTAGORE ROADRAJKOT 360002INDIAPHONES91 281 248 0166 (office)91 281 246 7552 (fax)91 92 27 60 65 70 (mobile)EMAIL energy@tinytechindia.comtinytech@tinytechindia.comWEB www.tinytechindia.com

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

An article from today's Commentary section of the Washington Times, page B4

Richard Rahn, The Washington Times:

SAN PEDRO, BelizeCayman is rich, and Belize is poor. Why? Both are small Caribbean countries with the same climate and roughly the same mixed racial heritage, and both were English-speaking British colonies. Belize (the former British Honduras) received its independence in 1981, while Cayman is still not fully independent but is self-governing at the local level, with its own currency, laws and regulations.Belize should be richer: It has a larger population than Cayman (345,000 as contrasted with Cayman’s 54,000). Belize has a much larger and more varied land area with many more natural resources, including gas and oil, and some rich agricultural land that Cayman lacks. Both have nice beaches, but Belize has the second-largest barrier reef in the world after Australia and also has Mayan ruins. Yet Cayman, with fewer points of interests, has done more to attract tourists.Back in the early 1970s, Cayman was as poor on a per capita basis as is Belize today. Both countries had ambitions to be tourist and financial centers. Cayman succeeded and has about six times the real per capita income of Belize. What did Cayman do right and Belize do wrong?Perhaps most important is that Cayman had and maintained a competent and honest judicial system, which gave foreign investors confidence that their property would be protected. Cayman also has a very low crime rate. Tourists and other visitors walk around freely day or night in Cayman without fear. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many parts of Belize, where crime is often a problem. In addition, many judges in Belize are poorly trained, incompetent and, in some cases, corrupt. These issues cause foreign investors to consider higher-risk factors for projects in Belize as contrasted with Cayman.The Washington Times The Washington TimesBelize has a more investor-friendly tax system than the United States, but Cayman has no corporate or individual income taxes on noncitizens and citizens alike - advantage Cayman. The problem for Belize is that it is competing with the likes of Cayman, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands, but not the United States. Also, the regulatory environment in Cayman is largely free of corruption, which is not true in Belize.The latest Index of Economic Freedom ranks Belize as the 77th most economically free country in the world (out of 179). If Cayman were large enough to be ranked, it almost certainly would be in the top 10. There is a very high correlation between economic freedom and per capita income. Any country can decide to become more free. Belize ranks a miserable 93 out of 183 countries ranked by the World Bank’s DoingBusiness project.It is obvious why Cayman is rich and Belize is poor, and it comes down to one word: governance. If Belize would clean up its courts, fully protect property rights and adopt the best economic practices of its competitors, it could quickly become rich. For instance, it takes an average of 44 days to get all of the required permits to open a new business. In some countries, such as Estonia, Singapore and even the Commonwealth of Virginia in the U.S., the required paperwork to open a business can be done online. Thus, days have been reduced to just a few hours.There is no reason any country has to remain poor. Countries are not poor because of climate, lack of natural resources or race. Countries as locationally varied as Singapore, Mauritius, Korea, Chile, Estonia and Cayman have become relatively rich over the past few decades. Those countries that are still relatively poor are poor because they have not put in place the necessary institutions, political structures and policies.The United States and a number of other wealthy nations are becoming less free and thus, not surprisingly, are growing more slowly.Belize could become rich and the U.S. and Cayman could become poor. It all depends on whether the political entities elect wise and courageous leaders.

Richard W. Rahn is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth.

The Central Bank of Belize says that its role is encouraging financial stability and economic growth in Belize. Among its tasks are: providing economic advice to the Government of Belize; providing banking services to commercial banks, the Government of Belize and public-sector organizations; issuing monetary notes and coins in Belize; buying, selling and otherwise dealing in foreign exchange; and managing Belize’s foreign reserves; among other responsibilities.

This week, we spoke with Central Bank Governor Glenford Ysaguirre on a range of matters which concern the bank’s portfolio.

Banking sector troubles

The governor broadly addressed the challenges facing the banking sector, particularly the high rate of non-performing loans (NPL) attributable to losses in sectors such as real estate and tourism.

He noted that under normal circumstances, the prudential benchmark of 5% NPL is encouraged, but Belize banks, on average, have been dealing with NPL rates way above that.

“Given what happened in 2008,” said Ysaguirre, speaking of the global financial/economic crisis, “I think everybody has jumped above the prudential rate.”

He said that an NPL rate of 8-9% would be a comfortable number under the circumstances. Some banks are high and some are low, depending on the sectors they finance.

“The average for the [banking] system right now is around 15%,” said the Governor, pointing out, however, that for the period 2008 to 2009, it was as high as 17 to 18 percent. “It is coming down, and it is important to us that it is trending in the right direction.”

He told us that some banks have bitten the bullet and absorbed losses, and so they can move with a portfolio that is cleaner, while others are still going through that process.

Delayed responses hurt

He noted that as Belizeans, “We have difficulty to accept change... Many in the business sector did not react as quickly to the situation; a lot of us sat down and hoped things would rebound but they won’t get back...for some time now.” He said that the quicker we come to that realization and try to do things to improve – diversify business and move on to other forms of activities, the better.

“We tend to lag behind the region in adjustment to change when we are faced with these external shocks,” said Ysaguirre.

Central Bank’s intervention

The Government told us that the Central Bank introduced most recently in December an increase in the provisions that banks would have to pass for non-performing loans.

“In the past, a loan that was fully secured – whether by mortgage or interest in some asset – would not have required the bank to pass any provision;” however, he said, the banks are now being required to increase their provisioning—funds held to offset losses—for 70% for such loans.

This, he said, is to ensure that banks have enough of a buffer and have enough provision to offset losses, thereby bringing the provisioning requirements up to international standard.

Banks would also be forced to recognize their losses on bad loans at an earlier date, and they would have to more readily acknowledge when they have come to the point where there is no reasonable opportunity to recover a loan.

Receivership of Port of Belize

We asked the Governor to comment on the Port of Belize receivership by Private Investment Limited, an overseas entity in the Turks and Caicos. We told him that the business owner, Luke Espat, had raised questions of the legality of what has been transpiring, and his attorney, Arthur Saldivar, had told us that PIL is not even a bank and should not be petitioning upon a financial document.

Ysaguirre said that while indeed, PIL is not a bank, what the originating bank did in selling off the loan to PIL it can do, “as long as that is part of the terms and conditions that the borrower signed on to.”

He added that, “In most markets, that is one of the methods banks use to rid themselves of troubled assets -- sell them at a discount,” Interestingly, however, at the time the loan was moved from the Belize Bank it was a performing loan, and that was one of the objections the Central Bank had with the repackaging of the debts. He told us that what happened to the loan after it was transferred is something he has no information about.

Ysaguirre also said that whereas there are procedures, guidelines, regulations in place to ensure related parties do not take advantage of clients, by accessing information for personal gain at the expense of their clients, in this case the indication is that the customer, Espat, was in agreement.

Thoughts on National Bank

The Central Bank Governor also shared with us his views on Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s proposal to turn the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) into a full scale national bank, to compete with the commercial banks.

Ysaguirre said that there would be issues with capitalization and ownership of the bank.

“If the idea is to turn the DFC into a full-scale commercial bank to start accepting deposits that would be owned by the private sector, there is nothing wrong with that,” he said, but added that, “there may be some difficulties with respect to a bank owned by the government.”

Ysaguirre noted that “Confidence and credibility is always an issue.”

If the DFC transformation does come to pass, he said, the Central Bank would also be regulating that institution and regulations would have to be drafted up to ensure it has the kind of autonomy that would give Belizeans the comfort and confidence that it would be run in the right way.

He said that there would have to be some distancing between administration of the bank and the government for it to be a success.

Can GOB pay super-bond and pay BTL, BEL compensation?

We asked the Governor: How do our numbers look?

He told us that the monies from the proceeds of the sale of shares in Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) are set aside. The final compensation figure would still have to be determined, and if the courts issue a ruling for a compensation figure higher than the proceeds of the sale of shares, he said, meeting all those payments “would create some fiscal pressure on the government, but that’s to be determined.”

Remittances

Governor Ysaguirre said that remittances have ceased to be a major foreign revenue source for Belize.

“With the advent of the money transfer agents, we have flat-lined with remittances,” he said. “We almost send out most of what would be coming in through these transfer agencies – the vehicle for remittances to come into Belize.”

He added that there has been pressure on the Central Bank, which also regulates money transfer agents, for permission to buy foreign currency from the domestic market to satisfy the demand for the transfers out.

(Story from the Tuesday, January 10, 2012 edition of The Adele Trapp Show, which simulcasts at 7:30 p.m. on KREM TV and KREM Radio.)

The military in Guatemala had a road block check point by Paxcaman, just over the border in the PETEN. Ostensibly to catch drug shipments, going North intransit by USA buying syndicates of criminal gangs within the USA.

Unfortunately, they stopped a truck and driver, one 22 year old Victor Manuel Osorio Sarceno. We are not sure if the contrabandista was Guatemalan or Belizean? We do know he bought his load OF 140 sacks of white sugar, bought from a San Ignacio Town merchant, here in Western Belize. No harm in that though. It was white sugar made in Belize. Gets a higher price in Guatemala at the capital of the STATE of Peten.

Both the truck and the 140 sacks of white sugar were confiscated. Hope the San Ignacio merchant sold his load HERE for cash, in Belize?

A year or more back, the Mennonites tell me they only sell corn to the GUATEMALANS for contraband, if they pay CIF in Belize. They let the GUATS take the chance of smuggling across the border.

Interior of planet Earth, our home a moving space station, in space.MAGNETIC NORTH POLE HAS SHIFTED 4000 MILES FROM HUDSON BAY NORTH OF CANADA, TO RUSSIAN SIBERIA.

So what are the facts:

Since 1860, the magnetic pole shift has more than doubled every 50 years. During the past 150 years, the pole shift has been in the same direction. During the past 10 years, the magnetic north pole has shifted nearly half of the total distance of the past 50 years! Pole Shift has more than doubled each of the last 50 years.

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What they see mimics the real Earth: The magnetic field waxes and wanes, poles drift and, occasionally, flip. Change is normal, they've learned. And no wonder. The source of the field, the outer core, is itself seething, swirling, turbulent. "It's chaotic down there," notes Glatzmaier. The changes we detect on our planet's surface are a sign of that inner chaos.

They've also learned what happens during a magnetic flip. Reversals take a few thousand years to complete, and during that time--contrary to popular belief--the magnetic field does not vanish. "It just gets more complicated," says Glatzmaier. Magnetic lines of force near Earth's surface become twisted and tangled, and magnetic poles pop up in unaccustomed places. A south magnetic pole might emerge over Africa, for instance, or a north pole over Tahiti. Weird. But it's still a planetary magnetic field, and it still protects us from space radiation and solar storms.

see caption

Above: Supercomputer models of Earth's magnetic field. On the left is a normal dipolar magnetic field, typical of the long years between polarity reversals. On the right is the sort of complicated magnetic field Earth has during the upheaval of a reversal. [more]

And, as a bonus, Tahiti could be a great place to see the Northern Lights. In such a time, Larry Newitt's job would be different. Instead of shivering in Resolute Bay, he could enjoy the warm South Pacific, hopping from island to island, hunting for magnetic poles while auroras danced overhead.